'He was always happy': Teen shot to death on Indianapolis' far east side honored at vigil

Leandre Lane was fatally shot on North Franklin Road near 34th Street in Indianapolis on Sunday. More than 60 people, including his mother and grandmother, gathered for a vigil in his honor on Monday evening.(Photo: Natalia E Contreras/IndyStar)

Leandre Lane was on his way to play basketball with a friend on Sunday afternoon.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police detectives ruled the shooting in the 3800 block of North Franklin Road near 34th Street a homicide.

At that very spot Monday evening, more than 60 people, including Leandre's mother, grandmother, other relatives and friends, gathered for a vigil in his honor. They released red and black balloons because those were Leandre's favorite colors.

According to police, the boy and a friend were walking when a vehicle drove by just before 3 p.m. Sunday. Someone got out of the vehicle and fired a weapon, striking the 17-year-old boy. The shooter then got back in the vehicle and left.

It's unclear if the person who fired the weapon was the driver of the vehicle.

"He was just a regular little boy. He was always happy. He loved break-dancing, and he loved his basketball," his grandmother, Mary Starks told IndyStar. "I just don't know why anyone would take a young boy's life like that."

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During a deadly weekend in Indianapolis, six people were shot and killed in 24 hours, including a woman who on Sunday April 7, was pronounced dead at the scene, and a man who died later at a local hospital, after an altercation broke out at a bar located in the 3600 block of Roosevelt Avenue, shown here on Monday, April 8, 2019. A female victim was also found at the bar and hospitalized in serious condition, while a male, reported to be in stable condition, later checked himself into Community East Hospital, claiming to have been shot in the incident on Roosevelt Avenue. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

During a deadly weekend in Indianapolis, six people were shot and killed in 24 hours, including a man who was found Saturday April 6, suffering from gun shot wounds and lying in the street, in the in the 1700 block of Bellefontaine St., shown here on Monday, April 8, 2019. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

Rev. David Hampton, the Deputy Mayor of Neighborhood Engagement in Indianapolis, speaks during the Leadership Together Youth Summit at Banker's Life Fieldhouse, Monday, April 8, 2019. "Everybody says we have a gun violence issue, and that's certainly true, but I think the deeper issue is we have a heart issue that needs to be addressed in our city," Hampton said. "We can only solve it when each of us does all that we can where we are." Jenna Watson/IndyStar

During a deadly weekend in Indianapolis, six people were shot and killed in 24 hours, including a man who was shot Saturday April 6, at 11:15pm, in the in the 7100 block of Twin Oaks Dr., shown here on Monday, April 8, 2019. The victim was also pronounced dead at the scene. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

During a deadly weekend in Indianapolis, six people were shot and killed, including a male who was shot while walking with a friend near 3400 N Franklin Rd., shown here on Monday, April 8, 2019. The seventeen year old victim died at the scene on Sunday, April 7. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

IMDP Chief Bryan Roach speaks at the Leadership Together Youth Summit at Banker's Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Monday, April 8, 2019. The event unites local teens and Iaw enforcement officers to discuss challenges surrounding violence. In his remarks, Roach mentioned the weekend's shootings, which left 6 dead in 24 hours. "As a police chief and as a city and city leaders, you go through a weekend like that, it's hard to wake up in the morning," Roach said. "But you come to things like this and you get rejuvenated by the power that's in this room, by the willingness of those that educate you, those leaders." Jenna Watson/IndyStar

During a deadly weekend in Indianapolis, six people were shot and killed, including a victim in the 1000 block of N. Tuxedo St., shown here on Monday, April 8, 2019. The victim was shot on Sunday, April 7th. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar

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When officers arrived they saw "an unresponsive male victim with a gunshot wound along the road," according to a news release.

Paramedics pronounced Leandre dead at the scene, police said. Homicide detectives also responded to the scene and began gathering information from witnesses.

Sam Brown, who lives in the neighborhood and is part of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition, a nonprofit organization helping families affected by gun violence, said this homicide hit close to home.

"I have a 16-year-old son," Brown said. "We could've been out there today doing this for me or for any of us who have young kids."

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Attendees of the vigil released balloons in red and black, Leandre's favorite colors.(Photo: Natalia E Contreras/IndyStar)

Brown is calling on authorities to fight to solve the crimes.

"Everybody should be upset right now. Everybody should be hurt right now," he said. "Authorities need to solve these homicides. They need to give the community peace and help them know this won't keep happening."

The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency helped identify and collect potential forensic evidence at the scene of Leandre's death. The Marion County Coroner’s Office will assist in determining the exact cause and manner of death.